Earnings season has been in full swing for a few weeks now, and two of the big food names are reporting this week. We're also going to get a look at some big names on U.S. retail from two very different points of view.
Corporate food stocks have had a rough time finding growth of late, with big names like Kraft Heinz meeting serious headwinds in its efforts to drive growth in its product segments. Similarly, Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) and Dean Foods (NYSE: DF) have had some flat years and renewed sales growth is much needed.
Walmart (NYSE: WMT) on the other hand is one of the best indicators of continued consumer strength in the economy. Being the largest U.S. retailer, and largest employer, the gains and losses at Walmart are very indicative of overall economic health. Meanwhile, J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) has been bogged down in the so-called "retail apocalypse" and is having trouble adapting to the changing retail landscape.